


Of Co-Conspirators

by Anonymous



Category: Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
Genre: Multi, Wedding Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 11:36:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11850750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Naturally the princess and the new heir to the throne require a  guard on their wedding night. Why wouldn't they?It's lucky that so much of Elmont's job requires him to keep a straight face.





	Of Co-Conspirators

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreamiflame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamiflame/gifts).



"Naturally the princess and the new heir to the throne require a guard on their wedding night," Elmont said to those who knew of and questioned his latest assignation. "Why wouldn't they?" And then, if he could manage it, he would stride off on business, or whatever was readily available that had the best chance of appearing to be business.

It was lucky that so much of his job required him to keep a straight face and sound convincing even under exceptional circumstances. And that Isabelle had taken care of any questions that the King might have had, as that would be one conversation where he strongly suspected his skills would not serve him particularly well.

Now the wedding night had come. Late, as it was summer, but finally the bells tolled the eventide, and the royal couple rose from their centre seats at the long feasting table and left, as was the custom in Cloister. Elmont, as both Captain of the Guardians and the one among them that the couple trusted most - the natural choice - followed at a decent distance, and had to put up with as many significant looks as people felt they could get away with behind the couple's backs. Guardians and some of the other guardsmen stood straighter in gleaming armour but let the corners of their mouths soften, a noble guest bowed in offering congratulations and winked at him... Elmont chose then to keep his eyes fixed on Isabelle and Jack, and never mind the rest of the bows and curtseys.

Her hair was swept up, quite elegant, with a few wisps tickling her neck. His suit flattered just as it should, the lines of his body clearly showing as straight and strong. They were not walking too fast - that would be unseemly. They probably weren't looking too nervous either, though the set of Jack's shoulder and the way Isabelle's head kept wanting to duck down meant that it was a bit of a struggle. Elmont kept his hands behind his back, knuckles resting against palm, but thought of placing a soothing hand on each of their backs. (Probably wouldn't be soothing. They'd jump. Not that he'd mind.)

It was not an unprecedented task for a guard or two to be placed at the antechamber door of a newly wedded couple, but it was one considered old-fashioned and, in the more recent generations, had mostly been used when there were serious fears about the lives of the royals in question. As there were no current rumours of war or assassins, or even of anyone who wished to undermine royal authority by trying to garner unsavoury gossip, the decision to have Elmont stand guard did attract attention once the rumour mill got a hold of it.

The situation would not be so bad, though, he judged, and he had thought it over many times before agreeing to do it. Likely much would be put down to fears assigned to Isabelle, and, those fears would be easily forgiven by the majority of the castle populace. After the giants' foiled invasion, people had looked at Isabelle's every uneasy moment as a sign of lingering emotion from the horrific events she'd endured. A princess was not born for such wild adventures, they said, and it was a pure miracle that she had not fallen ill afterwards, or been driven mad. No, she'd not been born for it, but she had contrived to make herself fit for it, Elmont thought. Here again he employed his talent for straight faces - a man couldn't go around smiling too fondly into thin air, or he was liable to become the subject of gossip or teasing as well.

Certainly, he was sure, there were already stories about why he was chosen - Jack's jealousy of him, perhaps, giving motivation to show him his place when it was known how close Elmont and Isabelle had grown over the years, quite friendly as he chased after her on her quest for exploration. Perhaps he would even stand inside the bedchamber doors rather than outside, to prevent Jack from treating Isabelle poorly, because how could a rough farmer know how to treat a princess? Some would land on the truth of it, ribald as they got deeper into their cups: Elmont was there to be with both of them, not to guard; in the bed. None of it would be particularly believed. They would laugh, and thank goodness; the three of them would be left free to do as they pleased.

It had cost a few lessons for all three of them to feel sure that they'd mastered the regally steady pace they now stuck to. Not only as an excuse to spend time together, either - Jack's dancing lessons took care of most of that. Elmont was willing to bet that the other two now also suspected that they might pop something vital internally from the slow walk, the respectful audience.

Jack was the one who broke, glancing over his shoulder once they were finally walking along a quiet stretch of corridor near the nobles' sleeping quarters. "El—"

"Sh!" He hissed for silence like he might at a new recruit, Isabelle giggled, and Jack rolled his eyes (fondly; terribly fondly. Perhaps it was time to step up their training regimen, so as to put a proper regard for instruction back into him.). Elmont gestured with a jerk of his chin - eyes forward.

The next corner put them in sight of two Guardians standing at the outermost doors to the royal couple's bedchamber, though probably not within hearing distance, but there could be echoes. He had, of course, assigned discreet men there, too, as in the technical sense he would be neglecting guard duties. Isabelle and Jack had asked him to. Still. Even if he was only going to organise the appearance of keeping them safe, he was well in the habit of doing it properly.

Jack cleared his throat with an apologetic sound, and it looked quite likely that his ears were redder than normal, though that could be the result of the firelight from the torches set in the wall. Isabelle giggled again, making an effort to swallow it - heavens, she really was nervous. Her hand slipped into Jack's as it so often did when she felt the need to gather strength.

It was something Elmont had seen many times in the aftermath of their encounter with the giants, in the months of struggling to rebuild the castle and everything that the invasion had torn up across the countryside. Everyone had generally accepted the gesture between them, princess and hero of a new legend, and it had sometimes struck him as very strange; it was something he hadn't even begun to think would be possible between him and her. Years of slightly too much friendship had been enough of a challenge to propriety for the two of them to navigate around. But there had hardly been time to be jealous, with the way they drew him into all their plans - all the way up to now, this most intimate of moments.

He paused a moment to give last instructions to the Guardians at the door - good men, but it couldn't hurt to emphasise that they shouldn't bloody listen and whatever they heard, they shouldn't bloody talk about it.

Then he went inside ... where he shouldn't be, where he was nonetheless wanted. They'd cornered him during a dance lesson, and he wasn't sure if they might have noticed his jealousy, but they'd both held his hands as they cheerfully trapped him into a few kisses pressed to his cheek. It had felt strange, and it had felt like a culmination. Of the quiet and offhand affection that had been most of what could lie between him and Isabelle, of the urgently growing admiration he had for Jack and his unbelievable pluck, of what had passed between them from the danger and magic to all that they needed to do for the sake of the kingdom and to ascertain Jack's new place in it.

The antechamber was empty - he strode to the open door further in. They sat on the bed, but they'd waited for him.

Isabelle was dressed in blue silks, accented with silver and gold, and Jack had been happy to follow her suggestion to wear the same colours. Beautifully matched, the two of them, Jack's eyes appearing bluer and the colours bringing out the warmth in Isabelle's colouring. And they'd clearly hardly touched.

"I offer my congratulations," said Elmont. "Now, who will congratulate me?"

Isabelle coloured violently enough to be sure of, even by candlelight. "Is that a euphemism?" she asked. No kind of education in matters of the bedroom; he couldn't help smirking, and hoped they wouldn't take it out on him. (Until they knew what they were doing, at any rate.)

"Congratulations," said Jack, getting to his feet - still holding Isabelle by one hand. "You're one of the three luckiest people in the Kingdom of Cloister." He was terribly good at looking smitten, this young man. It was the look he turned to Isabelle then - and a little conspiratorial, as the two of them so often tended to be - and then gaining comradely admiration when it was turned to him.

Elmont went to kiss him, and dip him for good measure. "Something to try with Isabelle," he said, when Jack staggered and they nearly fell. "We shall have to practice it first, clearly."

"Have mercy, Elmont, just this once. This is a delicate matter - not like when you two train in fighting," said Isabelle, and pulled them both to sit down. The heavy softness of the bedclothes was incredibly inviting; for now, Elmont stroked the soft fabrics before he touched the two of them more.

"I don't believe you," he told Isabelle. "This is an entirely ordinary matter. You may scoff at it - it presents no challenge to you, compared to what else you've accomplished."

"And I am with the two of you," she said

"Don't believe him, Isabelle - you've seen how he approaches training. If we're not careful, we won't be allowed to leave until we collapse."

The poor Princess then had to hide. So ferociously shy that she could not be near them anymore, she retreated to all the way under the covers. But of course, she was not easily defeated: she lifted the covers. "Well?" she said.

And then made a slightly disconcerted sound, and belatedly kicked off her slippers.

"Perhaps you could ask her if she would like you to take part in that," Elmont suggested to Jack. "The undressing, all that."

"The pair of you can both come here right now. And we'll help each other," she insisted.

He shrugged at that, and felt his smirk gentle. "That has certainly worked out for us so far."

It was hard to make too much room for nerves after that. He complained a little what a job of work it was to undress, and spoke of how on occasion he'd simply loosed himself from his breeches and the lady he'd been with had lifted her skirts, and they'd gone about it full-dressed. They laughed, and grew heated, and Jack also challenged him that he'd heard enough of the lads he knew brag about similar to doubt that story just a little.

He arranged them so that Jack sat between the crux of his legs - a little awkward, with Jack so tall, but it was all in the interest of education. "A firm touch, I think?" he said, and then, as Jack's head sank back, "See, Isabelle, you needn't be afraid. Take a good hold of him."

"Oh, Jack," she said, nearly overwhelmed herself. But she wasted no further time closing her hand over Elmont's, gasping just a little, and helped him stroke Jack. She kissed his bared throat and then kissed Elmont clumsily and with passion, knocking him quite out of composure. He was dizzy when they broke apart, and Jack trembling - but it was Jack who had enough of his wits to brush a few tears out of Isabelle's eyes.

"Now is a time when it is quite all right for me to have desire, isn't it?" said Isabelle. "Please - I don't quite know what to ask for, but..."

It seemed a bit more right for Jack and Isabelle to have each other first. They were the ones truly wed; his pledge to both of them was not quite so highly sanctified, precious though it was to him and them. Elmont arranged himself behind Isabelle, prompting her by rocking his hips into hers, taking in the perfumed scent of her hair, grinning at the rapt look on Jack's face.

When they quit for the night - or perhaps for the moment, if they waked in the night - he hoped that they did - Elmont ended up the one in the middle. "I've thought of it often," Isabelle murmured. "I thought it couldn't be a serious dream, then, but I thought of it all the same." And Jack's arms closed over him, and he was pleased to use his lanky build to enfold him.

"I suspect that you get ideas, on occasion, about being the one to protect me," Elmont berated mildly.

"Only when I can't help myself," Jack said, no kind of answer at all. "Now, a newly royal decree, if you please: go to sleep."

He would have to get up earlier than them, and wash by the basin, and take his post outside the door. He had not pledged his troth to them; he could not. But he was of the Guardians, and they were his Queen and his Prince Regent, and there was a pledge in that that he was fiercely overjoyed to have.

And so too the simplicity of lying together, breathing together, being of like mind.


End file.
